Chulu West Peak Climbing - 19 Days

Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, a representative from Himalayan Trekkers will welcome you and transfer you to the designated hotel. After check-in formalities, you can take freshen up and take a rest for a bit. Then, we will have a short discussion regarding our climbing trip to Chulu West Peak. 

Then, in the evening, we will take a stroll around the tourist hub, Thamel where you can get a glimpse of the lifestyle of this neighborhood. 
Note: If your arrival is in the morning or before noon and you do not have jet lag, we can visit two prominent places of Nepal today before walking in the streets of Thamel. We will first visit Boudhanath Stupa, one of the most important Buddhist sites in Nepal. The giant stupa is also the biggest stupa in the country and one of the biggest in the world. 

From Boudhanath, we go to Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the 4 major Hindu sites in the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva where you can observe the evening aarti ceremony and probably open-air cremation ceremony on the bank of the holy river Pashupatinath. 

We proceed to the major attractions of Kathmandu Valley which are all listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site after breakfast. We will visit Boudhanath and Pashupatinath if we didn’t get the time to visit them the previous day. But, if they were visited then we will cover Swoyambhunath Temple and one of the three Durbar Squares of the valley. 

Swoyambhunath Stupa, also popular as the ‘monkey temple’ among foreign friends, is one of the oldest temples in the valley whose history is related to the formation of the valley itself. It is located on a hilltop in the center of Kathmandu and is seen from almost every corner. The stupa temple is worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists. It is a great example of religious harmony in the country. 

The three durbar squares in the three medieval cities in the Kathmandu Valley are equally beautiful and the numerous palaces, temples, and courtyards there openly display the combination of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Tantrism that characterizes Nepalese culture. All three durbar squares may appear to be the same for first-timers but their history, value, arts, and details in craftsmanship interestingly vary. 

Depending upon the time, we will visit one of these three durbar squares and return to Thamel. The remainder of the day is for trip preparation. You can purchase or rent any personal gear for the climb from the shops of Thamel. 

We leave Kathmandu after breakfast and start the journey. Our today’s destination is Besisahar which can be reached in 6-7 hours by driving. Exiting Kathmandu, the environment seems clean and fresh. Our entire ride is charmed by the scenery of the hills, gushing Trishuli River till halfway, small settlements, terraced farms, and smiley locals. We will also take tea, lunch, and photography breaks en route. Once we reach Besisahar, we will check-in at the best available guest house and rest. In the evening, you can stroll around the purchase the necessities in case forgotten to get them in Kathmandu. The place also has a few ATMs where you can withdraw some cash that is enough for the trip. Also, take in the views of the mountains like Machhapuchhre, Annapurna II, and Lamjung Himal if the weather favors us. 

Note:
1. We will stay overnight in Besisahar today because we will have to catch the scheduled local sharing jeep to reach Chame in the morning tomorrow. The local sharing jeep is mainly scheduled in the morning time. 
2. In case, if we hire a private jeep from Kathmandu, we can continue up to Chame which is a further 4-5 hrs drive from Besisahar. But, we have to start very early in the morning. 

We will catch the scheduled local sharing jeep in the morning and drive to Chame. We pass by many small settlements such as Bhulbhule, Bahundanda, Ghermu, Jagat, Chyamche, Tal, Dharapani, Timang, and Koto before arriving in Chame. The views along the route are wonderful alpine-like meadows, herds, pine forests, and some glimpses of snow-clad peaks. Once we are in Chame, we will rest in our guest house and spend the remainder of the day exploring the village and viewing the incredible Annapurna, Manaslu, and Lamjung Himal.  

Note:
These days motor road goes up to Manang village but we will spend overnight in Chame for acclimatization purposes. In case you prefer to travel up to Manang via vehicle, we can arrange them. 

We wake up with incredible views of the mountains and have a hearty breakfast. We begin the trekking journey today. Leaving Chame village, we slowly start walking on the trail following the river. We walk by green fields before entering a dense pine forest. After an hour from Chame, we reach a village named Bhratang. The village has an apple farm so some apple goodies or apple juice is a must-try here. After a short break, we resume the trek continuing on the trail on the cliffside that offers a view of snow-covered peaks, and reach our destination, Upper Pisang. 

The traditional village of Upper Pisang has narrow lanes, stone houses, and some wooden buildings. Once we get there, we check in at the tea house and rest our legs. Later we will visit the monastery at the top of the village and take in the views of the surrounding villages and the mountains. 

Note: 
Though the vehicle can go up to Manang village, we will start the trek from Chame and move slowly, getting acclimatized as we are gaining altitude every day. 

Today’s trek is much tougher than yesterday’s but we will be rewarded with the most incredible views. We set off soon after our early breakfast with a stunning view of the Annapurna. After walking for a bit we come across the mani walls inscribed with mantras where we will take a short halt. Then we move on and take a long, tough, and steep climb to the traditional village of Ghyaru which offers absolutely magical panoramic views of the mountains such as Annapurna, Pisang Peak, and others. From Ghyaru, we gently trek toward another settlement called Ngawal which is popular for a lunch break. 

The views from the village are equally amazing. After lunch, we move slowly to Braga village with wonderful views accompanying us. We pay our visit to Braga Monastery, which is the largest in the Manang district, and move towards the Manang village, our destination of the day. 

Note: 
There are two routes to reach Manang from Upper Pisang. We take the recommended route: Pisang - Ghyaru - Ngawal – Braga – Manang.  

Today is needed acclimatization day. On this rest day, we will make a short walk to a higher elevation to Ice Lake (Kicho Tal) to get acclimatized. We start the hike after breakfast retracing the route to Braga. The path then climbs quickly and we will be awarded a sweeping view of the mountains and Manang Village. As we continue we will encounter the zigzag trail and slippery trial. We will pass by a small tea house en route and after 3 hours of starting, we reach the Ice Lake. 
We eat our lunch at the bank of the lake looking at the wonderful lake and the mountain vistas surrounding us. You can click as many photos as you want and we will return back to Manang for the night. 

Note: Optional Ice Lake Hike, 4600m, or Walk around in Manang Can be done.

Departing Manang village after breakfast, we hit the trail again and moved toward the checkpoint where our permits were examined and stamped. The route wound its way out of Manang, and we will quickly ascend above the settlement. You have the time to take in the stunning views of the mountains, the river winding through the valley, and the distant lake. We may encounter loaded mule trains and mountain yaks grazing at the side of the path. We reach Ghunsang and take a short break. 

The trail then goes uphill and winds up while offering breathtaking vistas of distant mountains covered in snow. There are the normal ups and downs and the walk to Yak Kharka is fairly easy. From here, we will cross a couple of suspension bridges while enjoying some of the nicest mountain vistas. We will reach Yak Kharka where we will eat our lunch. Many people decide to stay the night in order to adhere to the suggested 500m elevation gain each day. 

But we walk further to Letdar, which is only a few hundred meters higher. We once again come across a lengthy suspension bridge before reaching Letdar. The remainder of the day is for resting. 

Today we will trek to the Chulu West Base Camp after breakfast in Letdar. Despite the difficulty of increasing altitude, we go forward on a pleasant and calm trip through stunning surroundings. When we get to the base camp, we set up camp and have some free time to explore the area to acclimate. The base camp offers a fantastic view of the Annapurna ranges. 

Today's route from the base camp to the high camp is not that technical where we will enjoy more breathtaking vistas as we ascend. The peaks such as Annapurna ranges, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Gangapurna, and Lamjung Himal accompany us in our walk. 

Rest day at the high camp to get acclimatized. If you are interested to explore, then you can stroll around the High Camp. 

The most awaited day has come today. It will be a long and daring day since you're going to climb Chulu West Peak. We will begin early, before dawn, and start ascending gently on the icy trail. Once the sun has come out completely, we will get to enjoy alluring breathtaking views of the Himalayas. We use ropes, crampons, and an ice ax to reach the top of the peak. The feeling of joy and triumph, accomplishment and success of being at the Chulu West Peak Summit combined with the magnificent and expansive view of the mountains, including Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Gaganpurna Peak, and Lamjung Peak, is exceptional. Once we've captured these lovely moments, we will gently make our way back to base camp.

This is a contingency day if we are unable to make the climb to the peak the other day because of unfavorable weather or other reasons. It is not required if we successfully climbed the peak. 

We tidy up the base camp today and depart for Thorong Phedi. Retracing our steps along the trail that lead to Letder and then head north toward the difficult pass. We cross numerous tiny streams that come from the Chulu East and Chulu West peaks. We will also pass through some regions that are vulnerable to landslides and a few sparsely spaced tea shops. We will arrive at the base of the Thorong Phedi Pass after around a six-hour hike. You can choose to hike further up to the High Camp depending on your level of fitness and your interests.

Today we will be making an attempt to cross the Thorang-La Pass, one of the world's highest navigable crossings at 5416 meters. We start very early in the morning before sunrise on the zigzag trail to the mountain. After 1.5 – 2hrs, we reach the High Camp where we will make a brief break before beginning the last ascent to Thorong-La. As the sun begins to peep above the mountains the views start to unfold in front of our eyes. As we keep going, we will abruptly turn over a short hill and notice a large number of prayer flags indicating we are at the Thorong-La Pass. We will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Annapurna, Gangapurna, and the eye-catching peak of Khatungkang after we arrive at Thorong La Pass. 

After enjoying the time at the pass, it is time to descend through the zigzagged path. Making a few stops to rest as well as enjoy the views, and making a long and arduous descent, we finally reach Muktinath. 

We visit Muktinath Temple in the morning and start the journey to Jomsom after breakfast. We bid goodbye to Muktinath and set off on a trail through small villages avoiding the motorable road. For the first hour, we will through farms and terraces, cross mountain streams, and join a tarmac road after a while, which we will continue to travel along for some time. We will continue till we reach Kagbeni, which was surrounded by mountains and farms. We will visit the Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Ling Monastery in the heart of the hamlet. Then, we keep strolling around the traditional Kagbeni village, navigating the labyrinthine lanes lined with stone buildings, little archways, and even erotic statues for a while. Then after lunch, we resume our trekking towards Jomsom along the dry riverbed. 

Note: If you want to avoid the trek, you can opt. to take the local sharing bus that goes from Muktinath to Jomsom or perhaps all the way to Tatopani and Pokhara. It takes around 2 hrs to reach Jomsom from Muktinath on a local bus. 

After breakfast, we check into the airport for our 30-minute thrilling flight back to Pokhara between the gorges of the two enormous mountains, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Once we check in at the hotel and drop off our bags, we will spend the remaining afternoon leisurely exploring the stunning Pokhara valley. We will boat at the Fewa Lake, the second largest lake in Nepal where we will admire the reflection of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) peak in the lake. 

We will also visit the Tal Barahi temple in the center of the lake. From the shore of the lake, you can opt. to hike for an hour to the World Peace Pagoda through the forest, or boat back to the starting line and explore other attractions such as Davis Falls, and Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Mahendra Cave, etc. We will spend the evening wandering along the lakeshore.

We leave the lovely Pokhara valley and travel to Kathmandu after breakfast. We travel through rural villages, landscapes, winding roads, green hills, small but lovely waterfalls, torrential rivers like Trishuli and Marshyangdi, as well as the distant view of enormous mountains that tower over the trail. 

Once in Kathmandu, take some time to relax in your hotel. Later you can explore this energetic city and shop for souvenirs and mementos to bring home. This evening is set aside for a farewell dinner with Himalayan Trekkers in an authentic Nepalese restaurant where we will be served authentic Nepalese cuisine and a cultural program. 

The Chulu West Peak Climbing trip ends here. You will be transferred to the airport 3 hours before your scheduled flight to your home or onward destination. We wish you a safe and relaxing journey ahead!